Collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod



' Sept. 22, 1959 A. s. MILLER 4 COLLAPSIBLE TUBULAR SEMI-RIGID ROD Filed May 14, 1956 INVENTOR. ARTHUR 5. M/LLER %M %7%vz A TTo/aA/EY United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE TUBULAR SEMI-RIGID ROD Arthur S. Miller, Paynesville, Minn.

Application May 14, 1956, Serial No. 584,646

6 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) My invention relates to an improvement in a rod and more particularly to a semi-rigid elongated rod which is hollow and which may be collapsed when not in use if desired. The rod may be used as a support for a tent, a surveyors range pole, drapery rod, a display support, and has various other uses which will become apparent.

It is an object of my invention to provide a supporting member in the form of a rod which is light in weight and which may be simply and easily collapsed into an extremely compact condition when desired.

It is also an object to provide an elongated straight supporting member which may be formed with considerable length but which may be easily collapsed and stored, for example, in the pocket of the user. It is an additional feature to provide a rod which may be easily fabricated and which is economically manufactured.

It is a further object to provide a supporting rod member having novel means for collapsing the same.

It is an additional object to provide a supporting rodlike member having means for maintaining the same in a collapsed condition.

I shall not here attempt to set forth and indicate all of the various objects and advantages incident to my invention, but other objects and advantages will be referred to in or else will become apparent from that which follows.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

Figure V1 is a perspective view of my rod.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my rod of Figure 1 in flattened, partially collapsed condition.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of a portion of the hinge connection for the segments of my construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 4.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal side view of the device of Figures 1, 2, and 3 in collapsed compact folded condition.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of my rod in extended condition with a portion thereof broken away.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rod illustrated in Figure 5 in a partially rolled-up condition.

Figure 7 is a detailed enlarged sectional view of a tip member for my supporting rod and the ring for forcing the same into the ground with a portion of the supporting rod in position in full lines.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod A includes the cylindrical elongated body portion 10. The body portion 10 is composed of the three sections 11, 12, and 13 each of which is formed of thin flat spring steel having the tendency to form a single tubular rod formation as illustrated particularly in Figure 1. The lower end edge portion 14 of the section 11 is formed with the half hinge sections 15 which coincide with the half hinge portions 16 formed on the upper end edge of the section 12 to thereby form the hinge member 17.

The numeral 18 designates the half hinge portions formed on the lower end edge 19 of the section 12 which coincide with the half hinge portions 20 formed on the upper end edge of the section 13 thereby forming the hinge member 21. The hinge members 17 and 21 also include the flexible hinge pins 22 and 23 respectively. In addition, the half hinge portions 15 and 16, and 18 and 20 are formed of such a width that a space 24 is created therebetween, whereby the hinge may assume the coiled formation of Figure l.

The sections 11, 12, and 13 have formed adjacent the edge 25 and spaced therefrom the raised lip portions 26 which are stamped from the sections. With my rod A assuming the position shown in Figure 1 from that of Figure 2 due to its natural tendency to coil longitudinally to a diameter smaller than that allowed by the lips 26, the edges 27 of the sections 11, 12, and 13 are positioned under the lip portions 26 to thereby maintain the edges 27 upon the edge portions 25 and thereby maintain the members 11, 12, and 13 in the fixed coiled position of Figure 1.

To collapse the supporting member A the same is flattened or uncoiled from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2 against the tendency to coil as indicated by the arrow 28. The section 11 of Figure 2 is then hinged toward the viewer and upon the section 12. The two sections 11 and 12 are then hinged upon the face of the section 13 opposite to that of the viewer to form the compact unit illustrated in Figure 4. With the section 11 hinged upon the section 12 the tendency of the section 11 to coil is directly opposite to that of section 12, but the two sections are held substantially flat and parallel due to the hinge 17 holding the hinged edges in substantially a straight line. With the two sections 11 and 12 in the position on the section 13, all three sections tend to maintain the relatively flat condition of Figure 4.

In Figure 5 have illustrated a further-embodiment of my invention indicated as B. The rod B is composed of a single sheet of thin steel 29 formed with the permanent tendency to coil longitudinally into the elongated straight cylindrical formation of Figure 5. The member 29 has formed adjacent the edge 30 thereof the lip members 31, similar to the lips 26, under which the edge 32 is positioned to thereby maintain the support member B in extended cylindrical position. The tendency of the number 29 is to coil longitudinally to a diameter less than that allowed by the lips 31 when the edge 30 is placed thereunder.

With the form A in the position of Figure 4, the same may be easily stored or mailed with a minimum of bulk. The same is true of the form B when rolled up as indicated in Figure 6. The members 11, 12, 13 and 29 may be formed of plastic having the tendencies to coil hereinbefore set forth.

Where it is desired that the device A or B be maintained in a vertical posion on the ground, for example, and it is not feasible to force the lower end into the ground due to the light weight construction, I provide the tip member 33. The tip 33 is cylindrical in formation and formed with the pointed end portion 41.

Formed in the upper end of the tip 33 is the cylindrical recess 34 into which the lower end portion of either of the members A or B may be inserted. Before inserting the member A or B into the tip 33, the collar member 35 is slipped onto the reduced portion 36 and against the shoulder 37. The upper edge 38 of the collar 35 may be struck with a hammer and thereby drive the tip 33 into the ground without damaging the tip itself due to the fact that the edge 38 is above the end portion 39. The collar 35 may then be removed and the support A or B inserted into the recess 34 for vertical positioning, Figure 5.

The member B is collapsed and rolled up by spreading one end thereof fiat and rolling the same up transversely of the longitudinal axis into the coil formation 40 toward the other end as the same is continually spread, Figure 6. The rod B may be stressed to coil transversely of the longitudinal tendency to coil, so that it may of itself roll up or aid in the same being rolled up in the formation 40 throughout its entire length.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, that which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod, a one piece rectangularly shaped elongated member having a tendency to coil around its longitudinal axis and a tendency to coil around its transverse axis when placed in a semi-fiattened condition, said elongated member having lip members formed adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof and under which the opposed longitudinal edge is positoned to maintain the elongated member in a fixed coiled semirigid elongated position.

2. In a collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod, a plurality of rectangularly shaped members each having a tendency to coil, said rectangularly shaped members being hingedly connected at the ends intermediate the outer ends to form an elongated member, and means for maintaining said elongated member in a fixed coiled position.

3. In a collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod, a plurality of rectangularly shaped members each having a tendency to coil, said rectangularly shaped members being connected at the ends intermediate the outer ends by flexible hinge means to form an elongated member, and means for maintaining said elongated member in a fixed coiled semi-rigid position.

4. The structure of claim ,3 including tip means for inserting one end of said coiled member into the ground.

5. In a collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod, a one piece elongated memberhaving a tendency to coil around its longitudinal axis and when in flattened condition a tendency to coil around its transverse axis, and means for maintaining said elongated member in a fixed longitudinally coiled position.

6. In a collapsible tubular semi-rigid rod, a rectangular elongated member having a tendency to coil around its longitudinal axis and when in flattened condition a tendency to coil around its transverse axis, and means for maintaining said elongated member in a fixed longitudinally coiled position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

